Mr. T on Gun Control

Flamboyant entertainer Mr. T. (read: the hair, the jewels, the r&eacute;sum&eacute;) has survived cancer, Rocky Balboa and two guest shots on NBC's Suddenly Susan. Only one question remains: How come no one was ever killed on his '80s action series The A Team?

"I am glad you asked that," the 48-year-old ex-bodyguard tells TV Guide Online. "I am so proud of the fact that The A Team never shot nobody, we never stabbed nobody."

As a result, Mr. "I pity the fool" T believes that the show  currently enjoying a second life on cable's TV Land  can serve as "an inspiration to the kids today because [it proves that] you can do an episode of good fun without killing people. That's what I'm most proud of. I don't want kids watching my show and saying, 'Hey, I liked that gun Mr. T had' and then take it to school."

Reflecting on The A Team's enduring appeal, Mr. T. (aka Laurence Tureaud)  who currently can be seen in the direct-to-video flick Judgement as well as a kitschy new Lipton commercial  says the cast's chemistry played a big part in the show's success.

"You've got to have crazy people: A handsome guy, a tough guy and the leader of the bunch," he says, referring the characters played by Dirk Benedict, himself, and the late George Peppard (Dwight Schultz rounded out the foursome as out-there pilot Howlin' Mad Murdock). "We were unique characters, and that's what it takes to be on the team."